Peace Corps hires Penn State alumnus as recruiter

Peace Corps hires Penn State alumnus as recruiter

The Peace Corps recently hired Penn State alumnus and returned Peace Corps volunteer Charles Cascio at the Peace Corps for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office in Washington, D.C.

Cascio, 27, will serve as a recruiter in Virginia, promoting awareness of Peace Corps programs and serving as a liaison for volunteer applications.

“You might find yourself standing in a classroom in Tonga, a farm in Malawi or a rural clinic in Peru,” Cascio, who served as a volunteer in Zambia, advises applicants. “Say you will go anywhere and do anything.”

Cascio served in the Peace Corps as a rural aquaculture extension agent in the Eastern Province of Zambia from July 2010 to September 2012. In addition to aquaculture, he conducted many projects including animal agriculture, food security, HIV/AIDS awareness, youth soccer, beekeeping and wildlife conservation. Cascio is a Dunmore High School graduate and received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Penn State in 2009.

“Penn State helped prepare me for life in the Peace Corps by first providing a diverse, yet well-rounded curriculum during my time as a student,” he stated. “While at Penn State, I could not foresee how some classes, such as Animal Production & Management, would contribute to my future. I had no desire to work in that profession and, moreover, I’m a vegetarian. Yet, it was because of those lessons that I was able to develop some of my largest, most successful projects in Zambia.

“Not only did Penn State influence the success of many of my Peace Corps projects, but also my ability to adapt to and thrive in a foreign, rural environment."

The Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work at the grassroots level with local governments, schools, communities, small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans of all ages have served in 139 countries worldwide.